Banks



N0. 6|l,827. Patented Oct. 4, I898. J. W. BANKS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS.

(Applicatiqn filed July 23, 1897.)

2 Sheets$heet I.

(No Model.)

NI). 6II,827. Patented Dot. 4, I898.

J. W. BANKS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS.

(Appfication filed July 23, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2- I I II II II IIIIIIIII ulf II II Q/N/IIIZ/I-ICOAQOI I 84 I I TH: NORRIS PETERS go. mom-urns WASNINGYON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFrcE.

JOHN W. BANKS, OF FENT ON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM G. I-IUFF, OF SAME PLACE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR CLOTHES-WRINGERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 611,827, dated October 4, 1898.

Application filed July 23, 1897. Serial No. 645,643. (No model.)

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. BANKS, of Fenton, in the county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Clothes-Wringers, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for geared machines, and more particularly relates to that class of driving mechanism wherein reciprocatory motion is converted into rotary motion.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient operating mechanism for clothes-wringers whereby the necessity of employing the ordinary cranks is overcome, and, further, to so construct the mechanism that a higher rate of speed may be obtained, with a corresponding reduction in the amount of energy expended.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the improvements .is better understood, the invention consists,

substantially, in the novel construction, com-,

bination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of a driving mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as applied to one end of a clotheswringer. Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. at is a side elevation of the attaching-plate, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the reversible pawls carried by the operating-lever.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a section of one of the supporting-uprights of a clothes-wringer in which is journaled the shaft of the lower wringer-roll (designated by the numeral 2,) having mounted upon its extreme end a double pinion 3.

Suitably secured to the outer side of the upright 1 and adjacent to the shaft 2 is an attaching-plate 1, and projecting from one side of said plate is a spindle 5, upon which is journaled an outer gear-wheel 6 and an in- .ner gear-wl1eel7, said wheels being of the same diameter and spaced slightly from each other. The attaching-plate is provided at one of its lower corners with a downwardlyextending arm 8, projecting from one side of which is a spindle 9, and loosely mounted upon said spindle is a double idler-pinion 10, formed of an inner section 11 and an outer section 12, said sections being spaced from each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will be noted at this point that the inner gear-wheel '7 meshes with the outer section of the double pinion 3, while the outer gearwheel 6 meshes with the outer section 12 of the double pinion 10, the inner section of said pinion 10 in turn meshing with the inner section of the double pinion 3, and by reason of this construction it will also be observed that the gear-wheels 6 and 7 rotate in opposite directions for the purpose of transmitting their motion to the shaft 2 of the lower wringerroll.

A bifurcated operating-lever 13 has its lower end journaled upon the spindle 5, the sides of said lever straddling the gear-wheels 6 and 7, and extending transversely of said lever above said gear-wheels is a pivot-pin 14:, upon which is mounted a pair of reversible pawls 15. Each of the pawls 15 is provided with oppositely-projecting engaging points 16, which are adapted to contact with the teeth of the gear-wheels 6 and 7, and it will be noted that in operative position one of the pawls 15 is adapted to engage the gear-wheel 6 at one side of the lever 13, While the other pawl engages the gear-wheel 7 at the opposite side of said lever. By this arrangement it will be seen that when the lever 13 is shifted in one direction the pawl engaging the gear-wheel will impart a rotary movement thereto, While the pawl of the gear-Wheel 7 rides over the teeth of the latter, and when the movement of the lever 13 is reversed a corresponding reversal in the action of the pawls 15 will be had, thereby permitting said gear-wheels 6 and 7 alternately acting as idlers. While the lever 13 has been described as bifurcated, it is quite apparent that the same could be formed of straps of metal, suitably bent so as to straddle the gear-wheels 6 and 7, as previously described, the straps being secured in any desired manner.

Springs 17 are carried by the operating-lever 13, said springs being preferably formed of rubber, and the purpose of these springs is to force the pawls 15 into engagement with the teeth of the gear-wheels 6 and 7. It will of course be understood that any other desired form of springs could be substituted for those herein shown and described, and hence it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the use of the present construction.

The operation of the herein-described mechanism is as follows: When the operating-lever 13 is shifted in one direction, the pawl 15, engaging the outer gear-wheel 6, causes the latter to rotate, so that motion is transmitted therefrom to the outer section 12 of the pinion 10, the direction of movement of this pinion being obviously reversed to that of the wheel 6, and by reason of the inner section 11 of the pinion 1O meshing with the inner end of the pinion 3 it will be seen that the latter is rotated and motion imparted to the shaft 2 of the lower wringer-roll. When, however, the movement of the lever 13 is reversed, the other pawl 15 is brought into engagement with the inner gear-wheel 7, the pawl 15, which previously engaged the wheel 6, sliding over the teeth thereof. It will therefore be seen that motion is given to the inner gear-wheel 7 in a reverse direction to that of the wheel 6, and by reason of said wheel 7 engaging the outer end of the pinion 3 it will also be noted that said pinion continues the motion which was formerly imparted thereto by the rotation of the wheel 6. Thus it is evident that as the lever 13 is continuously shifted the reciprocating motion thereof is communicated to the shaft 2 and converted into rotary motion.

The herein-described invention is especially applicable to bench-wringers, and it will of course be understood that the same may be used with any other form of clotheswringer, and it will be further understood that the use of the invention is not limited to this class of devices, but the same may be employed wherever it is desired to convert reciprocatory motion into rotary motion.

The invention is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction, and the right is therefore reserved to modify or vary the same as falls within the spirit and scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a double pinion carried thereby,independently-movable gearwheels journaled on a common center, a double pinion mounted intermediate the double pinion carried by said shaft and said gearwheels, one section of said intermediate pinion meshing with the pinion carried by the shaft and the other section thereof with one of said gear-wheels, and means for operating said gear-wheels in opposite directions, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a double pinion carried thereby, a series of gear-wheels journaled adjacent to said pinion, one of said gearwheels meshing directly with said pinion, an intermediate double pinion between said gearwheels and the pinion carried by the shaft and meshing with the other of said gear-wheels, said intermediate pinion also meshing with the pinion carried by the shaft, whereby the gear-wheels are adapted to rotate in opposite directions and impart a continuous motion to the shaft, and an operating-lever for rotating said gear-wheels, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a double pinion carried thereby, a series of gear-wheels journaled adjacent to said pinion, the inner of said gear-wheels meshing with the outer end of said pinion, an idler-pinion journaled intermediate the pinion carried by the shaft and said gear-wheels and comprising an inner and an outer section spaced from each other,

the outer section of said pinion meshing with the outer gear-wheel, and the inner section meshing with the inner end of the pinion carried by the shaft, whereby the gear-wheels are adapted to rotate in opposite directions and impart a continuous motion to the shaft, and an operating-lever journaled upon the shaft of the gear-wheels and having suitable connection with the latter, substantially as and for the purpose described.

at. In a device of the class described, the combination with a shaft, of a double pinion carried thereby, an attaching-plate arranged adjacent to said shaft, a spindle carried by said attaching-plate, a series of gear-wheels mounted upon said spindle, the inner gearwheel meshing with the outer end of said pinion, a second spindle carried by said attaching-plate, an intermediate idler-pinion mounted thereon and formed of an inner and an outer section meshing with the outer gear- Wheel, said inner section meshing with the inner end of the pinion carried by said shaft, whereby the gear-wheels are adapted to rotate in opposite directions and impart a continuous motion to the shaft, an operating-lever journaled upon the spindle of the gearwheels, a series of reversible pawls carried by said lever and engaging said gear-wheels, and springs also carried by said lever and bearing against said pawls, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. BANKS. Witnesses H. B. LATOURETTE, IRA. D. BoUTELL, 

